Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 30, 2015
The U.S. Secretary of State joined Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the Secretary General of the GCC today in New York for a ministerial meeting of the GCC-U.S. Strategic Cooperation Forum (SCF). It was the fifth SCF since its establishment in March 2012. The SCF has served as an important forum to strengthen strategic cooperation and advance shared priorities and interests on political, security, economic, and military issues. Today’s discussions examined a range of issues, including the humanitarian and political crisis in Syria, the importance of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the P5+1 and Iran, the Middle East peace process, and the need for a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. The Ministers also discussed progress and next steps on the GCC-U.S. strategic partnership and areas of cooperation announced at Camp David on May 14, 2015.
The Ministers affirmed their commitment to addressing the tragic situation of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria. The Ministers underscored the need for financial support to address the crisis and called attention to the UN Appeal for Syria, and urged the international community to provide urgently needed assistance, recognizing that previous generosity does not mitigate the need for additional, immediate funding to confront this catastrophe.
The Ministers agreed that the humanitarian crisis, destruction, and terrorism in Syria are symptoms of the Syria conflict and the brutality of President Asad, who has lost all legitimacy. The only way to solve the crisis, they emphasized, is a managed political transition away from Asad, in accord with the Geneva Communique that establishes a new government in Syria, reflecting the aspirations of the Syrian people, and that advances national unity, pluralism, and human rights for all Syrian citizens. The Ministers noted the regime has demonstrated neither the will nor the capability to confront Da’ish (ISIL/ISIS) safe-havens in Syria. The Ministers also noted the regime’s relentless violence against its own people, including the use of barrel bombs and chemical weapons. They strongly supported increased efforts to degrade and ultimately defeat Da’ish in Syria and warned against the influence of other extremist groups represent a danger to the international community and are a significant cause of the refugee crisis.